The implementation of a combined quantum-mechanical (QM) and molecular-mechanical (MM) potential in the molecular dynamics (MD) package AMBER is suggested. MD simulations using this potential are proposed to investigate solvent effects and catalytic effects of enzymes on amide hydrolysis. Currently, high level ab initio calculations are performed to obtain an accurate description of the reaction path and the reaction energetics of small amides. The results serve as a reference to parameterize semiempirical QM/MM models which are reasonably efficient to be used in MD simulations, as well as to assess the reliability of these models. In a later stage, the calibrated QM/MM model will be implemented in the AMBER package. MD simulations are anticipated to investigate the influence of aqueous solvent on the reaction and to identify the catalytic effect of serine proteases. The study also admits a validation of the rather novel approach to use QM/MM potentials in MD simulations and free energy calculations. The program CHEMCAM, developed by myself in the laboratory of Prof. Walter Thiel in Zurich, was installed on the CGL graphics workstations. It was used to generate suitable starting geometries of the relevant molecules and to visualize the results of the ab initio calculations. Adequate visualization facilities are even more crucial for the proper analysis of the anticipated MD simulations. Using the graphics facilities of the Computer Graphics Laboratory is therefore essential for successful research on this project.